Devitte: At All-Star Game, Players Sacrifice is Special

I’m writing part of this before the Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game has even been played. Think of it like a pre-active account on what has transpired and hopefully a reflection on the events depicted on your television or your streaming mobile device. There’s something that has gone missing in all the coverage of this event, an ingredient that eludes the common observer, the casual fan — even the acrimonious critic.

Allow me ask you a few simple questions to set the scene. What is your favourite sport? What is your favourite team? Who are your favourite athletes? What if they all were in the same place and you could meet them? What if you could meet all of them?

There are a few dozen kids that have a chance to meet their heroes — to eat breakfast with them — down here in Boca Raton, Fla. Imagine being a young lacrosse fan 8, 9, 10 years old staying in the same hotel as the guys that you idolize. You’re all crewed up with three or four of your best friends just walking around like you own the place fist-bumping with Paul Rabil, slapping high-fives with Brett Queener, even attempting flying-chest-bumps with Brian Langtry. That’s happening right now, as you read this.

How lucky are these kids? How lucky are the players to have the kids? How lucky am I to witness this? What you don’t realize, dear reader/purist/critic, is that this group of MLL players, this collection of men, is the first group that will separate from the pack and fulfill the promise of those that started and built this league. These guys, the guys that came to THIS All-Star game, younger guns and older school, are what make the league great now and what will make the league even greater in the future.

It’s easy to bag on the MLL. It would be very easy for me to point out the things that have gone wrong this weekend. But that’s not going to help anyone. That’s not going to solve any problems. People — perhaps the figurative “you people” — always talk about growing the game. Well what does that mean? You cannot grow anything without a sacrifice. The most common sacrifice is the hardest thing to give up for most people: time. The time that the players and the league have put in this weekend will be measured logistically in hours. But what will come of those hours is likely immeasurable. Anyone can sign an autograph, not everyone can sign an autograph and then teach you how to shoot a bounce shot and celly like a champ.

The players know this is special. Some of them might think that this is their only chance to be involved with something like this. Some of them may be right, but they are here for a reason. They worked hard to get into the league, and then they worked even harder to become the best players in it. You want to know what separates the MLL from the other pro incarnations? These guys work the hardest for what they have and they don’t take it for granted. The second they do, they know that they will be doing something else in the summer. More importantly, they will know what they are missing now.

The MLL All-Stars were signing each other’s shirts with sharpies in between shifts in the on-field clinic yesterday; each one smiling — one or two audibly giggling — as they did so. They’re all happy to be here. They’re all happy to sacrifice, even if the sacrifice is “just” their time.